Inter 2 year summary
POLONIUS’ADVICE TO HIS SON
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARAE
INTRODUCTION: The poem ‘Polonius’ Advice to his Son’, written by William Shakespeare. He is widely regarded as the greatest playwright in English. His plays remain highly popular and are constantly studied, performed and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts. He is popularly known as the “Bard of Avon”.
CONTENT: Polonius is the chief Counselor of King Claudius. The poem itself is a long list of principles that he wants his son to follow when he is away in a foreign land. He showers his blessings on his son Laertes and asked him to follow his advice. He is confident that these advices would build his sons character.
EXPLANATIN: Polonius advises his son to be cautious with his words and actions. Polonius advised his son to think well before speaking and to think carefully before acting. He asks him to be friendly with others but warns him not to cross the limits of decency and privacy. He recommends making friends with others but cautions him to distingue between a true friend and a false one. He exhorts his son to avoid fights, but if for some reasons cannot, to put fear into the opponent. He suggests that his son should listen to all but speak less. He also wants his son to receive advice from all but reserve his opinion to himself. His son may buy nice clothes but should not look showy. His most famous piece of advice is not to lend or borrow money. Lending leads to loss of money and friends. Borrowing proves our inability to manage our budget. And to top it all, Polonius wishes his son to be true to himself, that is to be individualistic.
Critical Appreciation: Polonius as a sincere father offers numerous pieces of advice and list of important moral lessons of life to his son so that he can overcome life challenges. Shakespeare had conveyed ‘brevity is the soul of wit’.
in this poem.
English Study Material 